It’s almost a year on since the first lockdown and unbelievably, after all this time, many countries are still experiencing restrictions, including many on retail. In England* retailers are counting down the days until April 12th. But, why wait to start something different? The future of the high street was already in question and while we welcome the reopening of stores, the world is a different place than it was 12 months ago.
If there’s one thing that we know about business, it’s that it’s forever changing and evolving, and those who win are the ones who never stop moving. Therefore, it’s no surprise that some retailers have not only been able to stay in business, but they are thriving. In fact, when you think about it, in some ways there’s more opportunities than ever to find new customers – especially for small to mid-sized brands. Over the last few years, with advancements in things like social media marketing, small brands have had opportunities to affordably reach a targeted audience like never before. And more recently, brands have a captive audience, with hundreds of thousands of people stuck at home – many getting bored and looking for entertainment and escapism – who are ready and waiting.
Over the last 12 months, I’ve seen a huge amount of uptake, both in my clients and in the market in general, to embrace digital. If you haven’t taken the plunge yet and tried digital marketing, I highly suggest giving it a go. Sure, retail stores will open again one day, but the world will be a different place and there will always be space for digital sales. Mastering digital marketing and connecting with a new audience – or reconnecting with an old one – gives you an expanded reach and more opportunity.
If you’re new to the digital world and wondering how you can pivot from a physical store, here’s a few ideas to start you off:
Attract customers by giving value
First things first, if you’re new to social media and don’t have a following yet, you’ll need to build one. Sharing content that is helpful and/or entertaining is the best way to do that. Don’t make the mistake of posting about your brand and asking for the sale constantly, people will soon zone out and no longer pay attention. By posting information which provides value first – for example, helpful tips – you can attract a new audience and retain them.
Do a live product showcase
One of the most effective ways I’ve seen to make sales as a physical store during closures, is to host a live stream. This means telling your customers in advance that you’ll be live on video and providing them with the link they need, or the platform. So for instance, you might say you’re going to showcase your new collection live on Instagram on x date. Customers can then see your presentation live and ask questions as you go. This is a great way to make sales, as images alone can be limiting and customers may have questions on the fabric, details, fit, etc and you’ll be ready and waiting to answer those concerns. You can make sales this way even if you don’t have a website yet, by telling people who want to buy simply to comment on the livestream. You can then arrange an invoice via Paypal, or another provider of your choosing.
Host 1-on-1 styling sessions
I’ll admit, this is something I see a lot in beauty rather than fashion, but I think fashion is missing a trick here. This method works especially well if you’re a premium brand, due to the time involved, however if your store is closed at the moment, it’s worth giving a go regardless. So, what does it entail? Well, customers have the opportunity to book a 1-on-1 consulting session with you, or your sales assistants, via a platform like Zoom or Google Hangouts (both have free options) and essentially it’s a styling session. You can talk to the customer about their needs and showcase suitable products, create an entire look to encourage add on sales and you’ll address their questions and concerns as you go. As with the livestream, you can then invoice using Paypal at the end of the session, if you don’t have any other means of accepting payment.
Pass the mic and collaborate
You might have heard of influencer marketing and there’s more than one way to approach this. One way is to have a ‘takeover’ on your social media channel, where someone with a suitable following – ie, people who would be interested in your products – does all of your posts for a day. There’s two benefits to this: first, your audience see your products showcased by someone else and see how they put their spin on it; the second is that the influencer shares with their followers, so you get access to a whole new audience.
The great news about these ideas? They can be done at no cost to you. The collaboration may require you to send some product out, but in general all of these things can be done for free and with limited tech knowledge required. I would imagine most people reading this have seen a social media platform before and know how to post, but if not, thankfully there’s a huge amount of walkthroughs available on YouTube to get you setup step-by step.
*Scotland scheduled for 26th April
Wales – no date proposed yet
Northern Ireland – decision on forward dates postponed on 1st March 2021
Guest article written by Vicki Wallis, Founder of Vicki Wallis Ltd and The Fashion Business Coach.
